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The Mets will reduce their payroll from $143 million, where the team began 2011, to approximately $110 million.
ARRIVALS: RHP Jon Rauch (free agent from Blue Jays), RHP Frank Francisco (free agent from Blue Jays), OF Andres Torres (trade with Giants), RHP Ramon Ramirez (trade with Giants),
DEPARTURES: OF Angel Pagan (traded to Giants), SS Jose Reyes (free agent, signed with Marlins), LHP Chris Capuano (free agent, signed with Dodgers), LHP Pat Misch (free agent, signed minor league contract with Phillies), INF/OF Nick Evans (free agent, signed minor league contract with Pirates), OF Jason Pridie (free agent, signed minor league contract with A's).
FREE AGENTS: RHP Jason Isringhausen, RHP Chris Young, OF Scott Hairston, OF Willie Harris, RHP Miguel Batista, RHP Ryota Igarashi, C Ronny Paulino.
The Mets expect to lose Isringhausen. Young won't pitch until at least May or June after shoulder surgery. Harris and Hairston were passable bench players. Igarashi actually looked good down the stretch, but the bullpen-depleted Mets released him in October. Paulino was non-tendered.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE: RHP Mike Pelfrey, RHP Taylor Buchholz.
Pelfrey has been a steady rotation arm, but he struggled badly this year and figures to cost at least $5 million -- which Mets officials believe might be the price of 200 innings.
IN LIMBO: INF Daniel Murphy.
The Mets like Murphy's bat, but they might just be running out of positions for him. He has torn his knees apart twice playing second base, and with first base and third base taken by Ike Davis and David Wright, it's getting harder to find a place where he can play. He failed in the outfield in 2010, and the Mets think he might have a hard time returning to that spot with braces on both knees.
MEDICAL WATCH:
--LHP Johan Santana (left shoulder surgery in September 2010) made his way back into minor league starts during the 2011 season. He was due to be shut down after some instructional league outings, and the Mets said he won't pitch winter ball, but the team expects him ready for spring training.
--1B Ike Davis (bone bruise in left ankle joint) avoided surgery after the team investigated microfracture as an option. Davis was hurt May 10 and missed the rest of the season, most of it restricted from even working out. If there are no setbacks, he is expected to be ready for spring training.
--INF Daniel Murphy (torn MCL right knee) expects to be ready for spring training, although the Mets are unsure what position he'll be able to play with both knees now in braces.
Categories: Mets News
The party's over Valentine won't let dissension brew
BOSTON - The Red Sox are back to being all-in with Bobby
Valentine at the helm.
Just listen to three people who played huge roles in Valentine's
baseball life - Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda, who knows about the
art of managing a world champion; Mike Piazza, Valentine's former
Mets star catcher who is bound for
Cooperstown; and Steve Phillips, the former
Mets GM who succeeded with and
sparred with Valentine - who talked to The Post yesterday.
"I'll tell you something, [the Red Sox] are not going to be
eating chicken and drinking beer in that clubhouse now,'' Lasorda
said.
Categories: Mets News
Mets seek more time to repay MLB $$
The
Mets are seeking at least a
fourmonth extension to pay back the $25 million emergency loan it
got last year from Major League Baseball, while they work on
closing the sales of minority stakes in the franchise, The Post has
learned.
Categories: Mets News
Santana may not be ready for Opening Day
In case another $40 million loan wasn't enough bad news for
Mets fans, general manager Sandy
Alderson provided some more yesterday when he casually mentioned
that Johan Santana may not be ready for Opening Day.
"We do have some question marks, of course, with Santana being
one of them," Alderson said of the lefty's return from his
September 2010 shoulder surgery. "We think he's going to be ready,
but he might not be. That's where the [pitching] depth becomes
important."
Santana had hoped to pitch for the
Mets by the end of last season, but
setbacks prevented him from getting back to the majors. Because of
the uncertainty surrounding shoulder surgery, it's hard to know
what to expect from Santana when he does return.
Categories: Mets News
SPORT BRIEFS No contract offer for Orioles' Scott
The
Baltimore
Orioles have declined to tender a
contract offer to outfielder Luke Scott, who becomes a free agent
after an injury-plagued season in which he played only 64
games.
The 33-year-old Scott was acquired by Baltimore in the December
2007 trade that sent Miguel Tejada to the Houston Astros. Scott was
voted the
Orioles' most valuable player in
2010, but he was hindered by a torn right labrum this year and
batted only .220 with nine home runs and 22 RBIs.
Scott hit .260 with 84 homers and 236 RBIs in four seasons with
Baltimore.
Categories: Mets News
THE RUMBLE AN OFF-THE-BALL LOOK AT YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS CELEBRITIES
IT WASN'T always this way for the
Mets . They didn't always lose their
best player to free agency without making an offer or acquire
mid-level relief pitchers and outfielders looking for bounce-back
seasons, as they have so far this offseason.
Twenty-seven years ago yesterday, on Dec. 10, 1984, general
manager Frank Cashen swung a trade for one of the top players in
the game and the move went a long way in getting the
Mets over the hump.
Categories: Mets News
Mets recently took out $40 million loan
The New York Mets' owners recently got a $40 million loan to
help with cash flow, a year after getting a $25 million loan from
Major League Baseball.
Categories: Mets News
Mets sign LHP Olson and C May, claim RHP Hefner
The New York Mets have signed left-handed pitcher Garrett Olson
and catcher Lucas May to minor league contracts and claimed
right-hander Jeremy Hefner off waivers from Pittsburgh.
Categories: Mets News
2011 Winter Meetings Coverage
Categories: Mets News
Welcome back, K-Rod | Reliever accepts offer to go to arbitration BREWERS
Dallas - The
Milwaukee
Brewers' first "acquisition" of the
off-season is a rather pricey setup man.
Free-agent reliever Francisco Rodriguez accepted the
Brewers' offer of salary arbitration
Wednesday night, in essence becoming a signed player for 2012 with
a salary to be determined. Because he had a $13.5 million salary in
2011, "K-Rod" could be the most expensive player on the team's
roster next season.
The other free agent offered arbitration by the
Brewers , first baseman Prince
Fielder, declined as expected.
Categories: Mets News
Buehrle joins free-agent migration to Miami
Mark Buehrle joined Heath Bell and Jose Reyes in baseball's
Miami migration as the Marlins got tired of waiting for Albert
Pujols and pulled their offer.
Categories: Mets News
Cruz Goes First In Rule 5
Categories: Mets News
Beltran, Ross out as team nears payroll limit;GIANTS
Slowly but surely, the
Giants' 2010 World Series roster is
breaking up. Of the 25 players, nine are gone - the latest being
Cody Ross - and two more could be omitted on Monday.
Categories: Mets News
Rule 5 Draft Preview
Categories: Mets News

